English Grammar – Spot the error (choose the erroneous segment or ‘‘No error’’). Sentence: No sooner the plane landed at the airport than a group of armed commandos surrounded it.
Correct Answer: No sooner the plane landed
Introduction / Context:This item checks the fixed correlative structure “No sooner … than …” which requires inversion with the auxiliary “had” (or “did” in present). The absence of inversion after “No sooner” is the error.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Opening adverbial: “No sooner …”.
- Past perfect context implied (one action immediately followed another).
- Current faulty clause: “No sooner the plane landed …”.
Concept / Approach:Correct patterns:
- No sooner had + subject + past participle … than …
- No sooner did + subject + base verb … than … (less common; present narrative)
Therefore, we need “No sooner had the plane landed than …”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Insert auxiliary and invert: “had the plane landed”.Keep “than” to introduce the second clause.Correct sentence: “No sooner had the plane landed at the airport than a group of armed commandos surrounded it.”Verification / Alternative check:Use the sister structure: “Hardly/Scarcely had the plane landed when …”. This confirms that “than” belongs with “No sooner …”.
Why Other Options Are Wrong/Acceptable:
- B is fine once A is corrected.
- C and D are grammatically fine noun/verb phrases.
- E is invalid because an error exists in A.
Common Pitfalls:Forgetting auxiliary inversion after negative/limiting adverbs; mixing “No sooner … than …” with “Hardly/Scarcely … when …”.
Final Answer:No sooner the plane landed